Dyslexia may be caused by signal processing problem in brainHealthDay News via The Philadelphia Inquirer Share The learning disability dyslexia is caused by a problem with signal processing involving speech recognition in the brain, according to a new study. Although they do not lack intelligence, people with dyslexia have trouble reading, understanding and explaining individual words or entire texts. Researchers in Germany found this is because a part of their brain's thalamus — called the "medial geniculate body" — does not process speech sounds correctly.More

Educators using new tools to overcome challenges of dyslexiaThe Brownsville Herald Share The letters change places or appear jumbled. Several words run together and look like one compound word. Sometimes the words may appear to float up to the next line.
These are just a few of the many symptoms of dyslexia, which covers a broad range of learning disabilities, experts say.More

Kids with disabilities suspended nearly twice as muchDisability Scoop Share Students with disabilities are being suspended from school at about twice the rate of their typically developing peers, with odds soaring even higher depending on the child's race.
Some 13 percent of kids with special needs across the country were suspended during the 2009-2010 school year. That compares with just over 7 percent of other students.More

Technology Meets Tranquility at The Storm King SchoolWith a campus rich in technology support for all students, including those in a program for bright college-bound students with learning differences, The Storm King School offers a welcome sense of balance. Teachers use a 6,000-acre forest classroom adjacent to campus for environmental science labs, experiential lessons, and art in the spirit of the Hudson River School painters. For more information, go to http://www.sks.org/academics/Mountain_Center.cfm

Obama special education chief calls it quitsDisability Scoop Share The nation's top special education official is leaving the Obama administration for a job in the private sector.
Alexa Posny, who has served as assistant secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services since 2009, will step down from her post at the U.S. Department of Education.More

For dyslexic and visually impaired students, a free high-tech solutionMindShift (commentary) Share Elizabeth is a college freshman who has severe dyslexia that makes it impossible for her to decipher printed materials. Nearly every night for 12 years of school, Elizabeth's mother would sit down and read her daughter's school work to her because that's the only choice they had. But a few months before starting college, Elizabeth discovered an online library called Bookshare.org, run by a small nonprofit called Benetech. "My life changed as I entered the world of accessible literature," Elizabeth wrote on Bookshare's blog.More

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3D Learner ProgramWe now offer Reading Plus® to further improve reading speed and comprehension. We also leverage both Recording For the Blind and Dyslexic and Talking Books. MORE

Teen and heroic teacher persevere to beat special education labelThe Oregonian Share Hanna Plasker hated the label, "special education."
Other than her reading and writing problem, she was regular kid in every other way. Gregarious, fun-loving and smart, she hid her disorder from friends. She had already experienced the stereotyping that often comes with the term "special education" and its assumption of low expectations. More

Special education reform brings New York City more in line with national trendThe New York Times Share After a two-year pilot phase, changes to the teaching of special education students are coming to almost all the schools in the massive New York City public school system. The theme of the reforms is inclusion, both on the individual school level and systemwide. While many of the details and mechanics are still unclear, and will differ from school to school, education officials say a successful special education program will be one that demonstrates flexibility and as much integration as an individual student can handle, based on his or her particular challenges.More

Differentiated Instruction for Math SuccessALEKS allows you to provide truly differentiated instruction that puts your students on the path to math success. With robust reporting, ALEKS offers detailed student data to support the creation of IEPs and inform one-on-one instruction. Discover how ALEKS can help your students succeed by applying for a no-cost pilot.

Peer-mediation programs possible answer for autistic students in rural schoolsEducation Week's Rural Education Blog Share Peer-mediation instruction and intervention programs could be a good option for rural schools that want to address the communication and social needs of their autistic students. A new paper, "Power-PALS (Peers Assisting, Leading, Supporting): Implementing A Peer-Mediated Intervention in a Rural Middle School Program," recently published in the Rural Special Education Quarterly highlighted one rural district's program as a "promising practice."More

Evolution stands up to bulliesLos Angeles Times Share Stop bullying: It's not just a public service slogan, its an evolutionary rallying cry.
As a national campaign urges parents and children to stand up to bullying, a biomathematician at the University of Tennessee says the urge to band together against strong aggressors is a key to humanity's success as a species.More

Need help with struggling readers and writers?The MediaLexie Scribe 2012 is a unique, free-floating toolbar designed to support individuals in reading and written language activities. With text-to-speech, speech-to-text, word prediction, note-taking, and phonetic transcription tools, the MediaLexie Scribe 2012 allows students to access and use core content independently.more

Intellectual disabilities in your classroom: 9 tips for teachersNational Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities Share More than 445,000 students with intellectual disabilities receive special education and related services in our public schools. Perhaps you're one of their teachers. If you have a student with an intellectual disability in your classroom, you already know that he or she has special learning needs. But how do you address those learning needs in positive and effective ways that really help the student learn?More

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